RepSenseiBulgarian Split Squat Form
The Bulgarian split squat puts your back foot on a bench so the front leg does most of the work. It is a hard single-leg exercise for the quads and glutes. Getting the distance from the bench right is most of the battle, and it changes which muscles you feel.
Prop up your phone and RepSensei counts your bulgarian split squat reps and flags some visible issues, right on your device. Video never leaves your phone.
How to do it
- Stand about a large stride in front of a knee-height bench, facing away from it.
- Rest the top of your back foot on the bench, laces down. Your front foot should be far enough forward that you can lower without the front heel lifting.
- Hold dumbbells at your sides, or keep your hands on your hips to learn it.
- Lower straight down by bending the front knee until the back knee is close to the floor and the front thigh is about parallel.
- Push through the whole front foot to stand back up, keeping the weight mostly on the front leg.
Coaching cues
Back leg is a kickstand
It is there for balance. The front leg should do almost all the work.
Down, not forward
Lowering straight down keeps the weight over the front foot.
Lean to choose
A slight forward lean biases the glutes; staying upright biases the quads. Both are valid.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
Front foot too close to the bench
The knee shoots forward, the heel lifts, and the front knee takes a lot of strain. Fix: Shuffle the front foot forward until the heel stays down at the bottom.
Front foot too far out
The back hip gets stretched hard and balance suffers. Fix: Bring it back a little; at the bottom the front shin should be near vertical or slightly forward.
Pushing off the back leg
It takes work away from the front leg. Fix: Think about lifting through the front heel, and keep the back foot relaxed.
Wobbling sideways
Feet lined up one behind the other leave a tiny base of support. Fix: Keep the front foot a little to the side of the back foot, about hip width.
Bench too high
A tall bench over-stretches the back hip and limits depth. Fix: Use something around knee height or a little lower.
Muscles worked
Main: Quads, Glutes. Also: Inner thighs, Hamstrings, Calves.
Who should take care
These are tough on balance; hold a rack or wall at first. If the front knee hurts, try a lower bench or a reverse lunge, and see a physiotherapist if pain persists.
Variations
- Dumbbell Rear Lunge: Easier: both feet on the floor and less balance demand.
- Dumbbell Step Ups: Alternative: single-leg work with an easier balance demand.
- Smith Single-Leg Split Squat: Easier balance: the Smith machine guides the bar.
- Goblet Squat: Easier: a two-leg squat to build base strength first.
Filming your bulgarian split squat
Prop the phone side-on at knee to hip height, two to three metres away, so the bench, both feet and your full body are visible. You can track it with the RepSensei camera, which counts reps and can flag some visible issues from one angle; it cannot see everything. See how to film your form.
Questions
How far from the bench should I stand?
Roughly a big stride. Test with a bodyweight rep: if your front heel lifts, step further out; if your back hip strains, come closer.
Should my torso lean forward?
A small forward lean is fine and brings in more glute. Staying upright is more quad focused.
Why are these so hard?
One leg carries most of your body weight plus the dumbbells, and balance adds to it. Start light.
See the Split Squat with Dumbbells exercise guide with a 3D figure.
More form guides
General guidance, not medical advice. Stop if anything hurts. The camera can miss things, so no issue seen doesn't mean perfect form.
Track your bulgarian split squat with your camera
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